Library Directional Way Finding and Interior Room Signage Design Development

New signage system displays treatments for general
public way finding and secondary room signage styles

I've been eager to post some new design work for quite a while. But in the 33 days my last post on 20 July, I've created and delivered over 93 design projects and worked on an additional ghastly sum well beyond that. Some of these projects even have multiple pages or pieces associated with them, such as a 37-piece signage plan for a recently renovated children's area, and an additional 28 signs to continue with implementation of a plan set in stages for another area of the same library. Then there is the 34 sign schedule for a new branch building currently under construction, and its accompanying 62 collection signs--all of which need to be digitally designed and tested by myself in-house using Adobe Illustrator before being client approved and sent out to signage companies for fabrication. For this post, lets just stick with the signage; I won't even attempt to highlight any of the daily print projects needing design development for promoting library events.

In the spring of 2013 I developed a signage plan for the library district based on and modified from other existing designs. The resulting proposed signage system was created to simplify and unify decades of hodge-podge, ad hok sign styles that had sprouted up like weeds over the years. The design intent was to present a two-prong sign style: one for general public directional and locational signs, then a second, more elegant one for room and special area designations. Both would use clear 1/8 inch acrylic plexiglass material and display black vinyl lettering on a white background. Smaller collection signage would also make use of a two piece laser-engraved plastic. Signs would range from the 7x4 inch to 14x6.25 inch collection signs, and from 6x6 inch door signs to 33x14 inch large overhead signs.

Upon closer inspection, you can see how some holes
are missing their braille pegs.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliancy was taken into consideration during design development, but I found the code so specific and restrictive that there seemed little opportunity to divert from the specifications where creativity and unique signage development was concerned. So instead, I moved the design to be as close to ADA compliancy as possible without fulfilling every minute requirement, such as a 3/16 inch raised letters mandate on the surface of the signs. I did, however, make sure to use a high black/white lettering point size and background contrast, and I added a braille component to signs that were to be installed within user height code specifications. The design wasn't intended to fulfill ADA requirements 100%, but it was to achieve as much of it as possible while allowing for some stylistic variances in type font and material selection.

A selection of different coloured two-ply plastic signs utilized
a laser to burn away the lettering through the plastic
surface. These were used for collection book shelf signs. 

Our sign fabricator did a fantastic job on the signs, but it wasn't without a hiccup along the way. We had subcontracted a second vendor to create the braille after signs were made, one who would drill holes and insert small pegs into them to create the braille nubs. We received a very nice sample, but we received the live signs, the braille pegs that were inserted into the acrylic began to fall out almost immediately. So we had to recall the signs that used braille pegs and went back to the drawing board to create a second set of signs that simply used a plastic adhesive strip of braille and glued that to the sign surface.

In the end the resulting signage system was well received. It went far to achieve its goal to simplify and unify the appearance and functionality of the public spaces in the library and successfully established itself as the basis for future sign development district-wide.